Sodexo Wellness: Pioneering Corporate Wellness in China

The stress of modern living, rising healthcare costs, and the growing trend towards more corporate responsibility are three factors that explain the development in wellness programs around the world. In addition, in China, the on-going talent war and the recent wage inflation are making corporate wellness programs look increasingly attractive to Chinese employers eager to retain and satisfy staff.

Pioneering the concept of corporate wellness in the country, Sodexo has developed a wellness offer that includes consulting, designing, marketing and managing programs and services, all of which are aligned with Sodexo’s core values as established in the Better Tomorrow Plan. Sodexo established the China wellness business unit in June 2010, although the story really begins in 2008 with Sodexo’s Wellness program for Nokia, the first of its kind.

Raising employee satisfaction at Nokia

In December 2007, when Nokia opened its new headquarters in Beijing's BDA district, there were a few gyms in existence at other companies. But nothing like the holistic, fully-integrated wellness program that Sodexo designed specially for Nokia. “Wellness” aims to empower Nokia employees to adopt a healthy lifestyle through innovative programming, services and facilities. The holistic approach is as effective as it is innovative: after the launch of “Wellness”, overall Nokia staff satisfaction grew from 84 to 98!

Welcome to Nokia Beijing

The Hub: NOKIA’s wellness center offers massage, Chinese holistic therapies, beauty and hair treatments and meditation/jet lag rooms for short rest breaks. Employee favorites at the Hub are easily the Massage and Chinese therapy services (60), followed by the Meditation Lounge (28) and Salon services (12).

The Gym: A state-of-the-art fitness center which offers complimentary physical assessments and basic fitness programs. For more specialized fitness needs, professional coaches are available for personal training sessions.
The gym boasts equipment like treadmills, cross-trainers and strength machines, plus a group exercise program that includes yoga, dance, kickboxing and Pilates - even hot yoga is available.
Two years after opening, 78 of employees have used the gym and its services.
And the wellness team is so convinced of the benefits of regular exercise, that if employees forget their gear, the company will happily equip them.

Floor Recreation: On most floors, there are creative ways to take a break and add some activity into the work day. Games like billiards and table tennis encourage employees to brainstorm differently, or just step away from their computers now and then. If they need to stay connected, the innovative “Walkstation” - a desk treadmill, allows you to walk while you work – enables the workers, and the company, to maintain healthy practices.

Wellness activity program: This program is a diverse mix of interesting and entertaining workshops, seminars and events that educate, excite and engage NOKIA employees to adopt healthy work and lifestyle practices. One example is “Wellness Mommy”, a series of baby care and pre and post-natal care programs that offer support to working mothers.

Lifestyle coaching: a first in China, and created especially for NOKIA, Lifestyle coaches encourage NOKIA employees to embrace healthy work and lifestyle practices. It starts with a simple questionnaire and physical assessment followed by recommendations to improve quality of life both in and outside of the workplace.